Police, Tata guards fire in air after labourers torch vehicles

Police and Tata Steel security guards fired in the air after contract labourers, protesting against the alleged slapping of one of their colleagues, torched several vehicles in the company premises in Jamshedpur and resorted to brick batting.

Police and Tata Steel security guards fired in the air after contract labourers, protesting against the alleged slapping of one of their colleagues, torched several vehicles in the company premises in Jamshedpur and resorted to brick batting.

The trouble started when a company security guard slapped one of the labourers after they had a heated argument over entering the premises, East Singhbhum Deputy Commissioner Ravindra Agarwal and SP Navin Kumar Singh told reporters at the spot.

Angry labourers set fire to several vehicles parked inside the premises and two police jeeps. Dozens of bicycles, motorcycles and an equipment for registering attendance were also damaged by the labourers, DSP P N Ram said.

The labourers resorted to brick batting when the police tried to intervene, Ram said, adding police then fired two to three rounds in the air to quell the mob.